In Costa Rica about 30% of supermarkets are in San Jose, Guatemala, the metropolitan area concentrates 45% of establishments, while in Panama, 32% are in West Panama.
An analysis of the Trade Intelligence area of CentralAmericaData provides interesting results on where they are located, who they are, if they operate independently or if they belong to a chain or business group.
In the last five years in Costa Rica the number of these types of outlets has increased by over 30%, and companies in the sector project continued growth in the medium term.
Sales at the 141 convenience stores operating in the country, according to figures from Euromonitor as reported by Nacion.com, have also grown significantly in the last 5 years, going from $44 million in 2010 to $178 million in 2015.
The dynamism and growth of the past two years is being maintained with the arrival of new competitors in a market which already totals 143 outlets in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica.
Added to well-known brands such as Fresh Market, AM PM and Vindi, all using the convenience store format, there are now local bakeries from the Musmanni chain, branded Musmanni Super Mini, owned by Florida Ice and Farm.
There is Increased investment in medium-sized commercial developments in the vicinity of residential areas.
Changes in people's habits, looking to cut commuting time from their place of work to their homes is influencing the investment decisions made by real estate developers who are focusing on building medium sized malls (between 1,000 and 5,000 m), located in the vicinity of residential areas and at high traffic points.
The supply of ready made meals in supermarkets and convenience stores is growing at the same rate as consumer demand.
"Current labor demands, stress, the global crisis, security and the limited time available are some of the causes of these changes," said Christian Morales, commercial manager of Grupo Gessa (a conglomerate operating the supermarkets , Perimercados, Jumbo, Super Compro, Turribásicos and Saretto).
In Costa Rica the Auto Mercado supermarket chain has announced the opening of 18 "Vindi" convenience stores before the end of 2013.
The company opened its first store in San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia and the second opening is scheduled for next week in Santa Anta, Lindora.
"Guillermo Alonso, project manager of the company, told ElFinancierocr.com that at the end the year there will be six Vindi branches in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).
In Costa Rica the small open-all-hours convenience store format is booming, with the entry of new players to the market.
The chain Automercados is to open convenience stores in a format which as yet is not known, although the company is currently building a dozen stores in several malls.
Diego Alonso, commercial vice president of Automercado told Elfinancierocr.com that more would be revealed about the topic in the coming days.
With a $1 million investment, the chain will open 5 more stores by the end of 2009, including one with the Fresh Market brand.
The new stores of the chain, branded "AM-PM" and "Fresh Market", will be located in the Great Metropolitan Area, and will create some 80 jobs.
"Armando González, CEO of the chain, and Gastón Margery, COO, explained that the decision to expand the brand in the Metropolitan Area is in response to both market studies that show the potential of the area, and to the success of the company", wrote Sergio Arce A. for Nacion.com.